This research proposal aims to characterize the anti-bronchoconstrictive effects of a Traditional Chinese Medicine anti-asthma formula ASHMI developed in our lab. Our hypothesis is that bioactive compounds present in ASHMI suppress bronchoconstriction by upregulating the production and activity of endogenous bronchodilators in the airways. Experiments designed to explore this hypothesis will be attempted using specific aims that will initially characterize the suppressive effects of ASHMI on airway contractility. We will investigate the efficacy, potency and reversibility of ASHMI anti-bronchoconstrictive effects. Subsequently we will investigate the cellular mechanisms mediating the suppressive effects of ASHMI on airway contractility. We will study potential regulation of bronchodilatory mediators such as PGE2 by ASHMI and also include studies on its possible effects on muscarinic signaling. Lastly, we will attempt to identify the bioactive agent(s) in ASHMI that are responsible for its suppressive action on airway contractility by adapting a simplified strategy that will first identify the key herb in the formula mediating its suppressive effects on contraction followed by further elaboration of the actual biocompound(s) by techniques such as HPLC, NMR and mass spectroscopy. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]